


thicker than water

by BonesOfBirdWings



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, Natsume is adopted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-09 02:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8871907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonesOfBirdWings/pseuds/BonesOfBirdWings
Summary: Natsume Takashi becomes Matoba Takashi. Matoba Seiji takes his job as a big brother seriously.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ackermanx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ackermanx/gifts).



> Thanks to Mal for editing this - you're the best dad!
> 
> Ackermanx - I hope you like this! I had a lot of fun writing it!

Takashi came to live with them when Seiji was fourteen. He was a blond waif with wide, hazel eyes, and Seiji would have been jealous of this new arrival if he hadn’t been so pathetic. Takashi rarely spoke and flinched at loud noises, and he watched his new family with barely-concealed suspicion.

Seiji knew better than to question Nanase’s decisions, but he must have shown his skepticism too strongly, because a few months after Takashi had arrived at the Matoba clan house, she took him aside.

“What do you think of Takashi?” she asked him, handing him a cup of green tea.

Seiji took a moment to think of an acceptable answer. “He’s... skittish,” he finally said, taking a cautious sip of his tea. Nanase had the tendency to make it a bit too hot.

Nanase nodded. “Well, we did find him in an orphanage. Apparently he’d been passed around from relative to relative before he came to us.”

That wasn’t a surprise, and explained Takashi’s careful observations. The child was probably waiting for the signs that heralded another change in caretaker. But, still....

“Takashi isn’t... ah... he’s not troublesome, though.” After a few months, the worst thing that Takashi had done was breaking several cups, and he had been stricken over his mistake, apologizing profusely to everyone with more emotion than Seiji had ever seen from him.

Nanase scowled down at her steaming cup of tea. “No,” she agreed, “that child goes out of his way to be courteous and deeply fears becoming a burden on his family. I suspect that his abnormally strong talent in seeing yokai... attracted quite a few to him.”

Seiji mirrored her scowl. When he was younger, he had an entire clan to protect him from the mischief of yokai when he was still unable to protect himself. Takashi had been weak and alone. His hand clenched around the hot ceramic cup as he glared angrily down at his lap.

“Well,” he declared, “I’m glad he came to us, then.” He didn’t see Nanase pleased smirk before she hid it behind a sip of tea.

After that, Seiji purposefully interacted a bit more with Takashi, often bringing him old books that he had used at the beginning of his exorcist training. He quickly realized that the child was pathetically grateful for every scrap of kindness. It was delightful how a simple, gentle touch would make Takashi bloom beneath his fingers.

The integration of Takashi into the Matoba clan was going so smoothly that Seiji should have known they’d be due for a mishap. He had noticed that Takashi was still twitchy around his family’s shiki, and knowing that the boy, if he were to use his prodigious spiritual strength as a exorcist in the future, would need to have shiki of his own, Seiji decided to show Takashi that the shiki were harmless as long as they were bound.

Seiji should have seen it coming – once Takashi’s fear of the yokai was removed, his compassionate nature shone through, and he began to refuse to venture further into his exorcism studies.

“I won’t!” Takashi cried, slamming his book shut. It was the first time the boy had raised his voice since he had come to the Matoba clan.

“You must, Takashi,” Seiji cajoled him. “You know this clan is a clan of exorcists. If you’re not an exorcist, then....” he trailed off, satisfied that Takashi would pick up on the implications. He was a clever boy.

A stricken look stole over Takashi’s face, and he looked back down at the book. Seiji smiled to himself.

But Takashi was also a stubborn child, and after about a year in their care, Seiji caught a glimpse of Takashi darting into the woods late at night. Curious, he sent one of his shiki after him.

Later that night, the shiki returned with disturbing news – apparently Takashi felt it was necessary to spend time with, and even help, a handful of wild yokai in the forest.

When Takashi returned home, Seiji was waiting for him by the door.

“Where have you been, little brother?” Seiji asked Takashi neutrally.

Takashi shrugged sheepishly. “Some friends from school wanted me to explore the forest with them,” he lied. Seiji had to hand it to him – although the lie wasn’t very believable, Takashi pulled it off masterfully.

“This late at night?” Seiji continued prodding, patiently waiting for Takashi to trip over his own deceptions. Takashi was good, for a nine-year old, but Seiji was much better, and he already had the upper hand.

“Saito is really into those horror stories,” Takashi explained, rocking back and forth a little.

“Oh yes,” Seiji said, pretending to think about it. “Takamura Saito, the boy who lives a couple houses down?”

“Yes,” Takashi agreed eagerly, obviously relieved that Seiji was buying into his story. Seiji had to bite back a smile.

“The one who, after his older brother made the mistake of showing him a horror movie, woke up the house with loud nightmares for weeks?”

Takashi swallowed thickly and nervously bit his lip, lost for words. Seiji smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Of course, little brother,” he said. “Goodnight.” He retreated to his bedroom, leaving Takashi to stare impotently at his retreating back.

Still, this didn’t solve the problem. So, when Takashi went to school the next day, Seiji skipped his own, strung up his bow, and ventured into the woods. The Matoba clan had allowed the surrounding area to become unruly, he noted with dissatisfaction. However, it only took the better part of the morning to clean up the forest.

That night, he was woken up by a presence in his bedroom. Cautiously, he opened his eyes to find Takashi perched on the end of his bed.

“I didn’t believe them, you know,” the boy said. There was a cutting edge to his voice.

“What are you talking about, little brother?” Seiji asked, making sure to keep his voice calm and level. There was an unfamiliar wildness in Takashi’s movements, a hint of the primal in the clench of his hands.

“They said the Matoba clan was evil,” Takashi continued. Seiji didn’t know if the boy had even heard him. “And I asked them, if they were so kind to me, how could they be evil to others?”

“It’s not evil to protect others,” Seiji protested, but Takashi barreled on, heedless of his words.

“I didn’t believe them,” he repeated. “I didn’t believe them until now.” He turned his wide hazel eyes on Seiji, and he could see, thanks to the moonlight, the tears glinting in them. “Why did you kill them?”

“They were a threat –”

“How?” Takashi interrupted. “Because they were kind? Because they were good to me, and friendly, even though they could smell the stink of exorcist on me? Because they talked to me, when none of the kids at school would?”

“It was a trick, Takashi-kun,” Seiji explained, feeling somehow that this child was slipping out of his grasp. “Yokai are kind, until they are not. They lure you closer, seduce you, and then snap you up.”

“Really,” Takashi replied, his small hands clenched into fists. “Are you sure you’re not talking about someone else?”

“Takashi,” Seiji chided, “don’t say something you’ll regret in the morning. Just go to bed, little brother, and we’ll –”

“Don’t call me that!” Takashi snapped.

Seiji was silent for a long moment. Takashi began to fidget, and broke eye contact.

“Do you want to leave the Matoba clan?” Seiji eventually asked flatly.

Takashi shook his head, glaring at Seiji’s bedsheets. “I have nowhere else to go,” he muttered.

“So you’re my little brother,” Seiji stated, sitting up enough to reach out a hand to pet Takashi’s blond hair. The child held himself perfectly still under his touch, neither leaning into the hand nor edging away from it.

“I will never forgive you,” Takashi eventually whispered.

“I don’t need your forgiveness,” Seiji replied.

Takashi nodded, and then slipped off the bed. He turned to exit the room, his bare feet silent on the floorboards.

“Good night, little brother,” Seiji called out to him. Takashi didn’t reply, but quietly slipped out of Seiji’s bedroom.

Seiji laid back on his bed, satisfied. That was one problem disposed of. Takashi’s strange compassion would get him into many more dangerous situations, he was sure. He’d take care of them, though. That was his duty as a big brother.


End file.
